Deion Sanders has become one of the biggest names in football, amassing significant wealth through his playing and coaching career. Affectionately known as “Coach Prime,” Sanders is currently the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes and recently signed a $54 million contract extension with the team.
Let’s break down his salary with the Buffs and how much he has earned throughout his career.
How Much Is Sanders’ Net Worth in 2025?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Sanders is worth an estimated $45 million. However, this valuation predates his extension with Colorado and could be subject to increase in the coming years.
While much of his wealth comes from his playing days, he has earned a significant salary as a coach, with his latest deal making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.
How Much Did Deion Sanders Make in His Playing Career?
Sanders was a first-round pick in the 1989 NFL Draft and went on to have a 14-year career, including a part-time, nine-year stint in MLB. According to Spotrac, he earned $33.5 million in the NFL, with his largest payday coming from a five-year, $25 million deal with the Dallas Cowboys.
In MLB, Sanders played for multiple teams, including the New York Yankees; according to Baseball Cube, his baseball earnings totaled $13 million.
Sanders’ Head Coaching Salary
Sanders’ first college head coaching job came at Jackson State, an FCS HBCU in Mississippi, where he signed a four-year, $1.2 million contract in 2020. However, he left after two seasons for Colorado, where he initially inked a five-year, $29.5 million deal in 2022.
His new five-year, $54 million extension will keep him in Boulder, Colo., through the 2029 season. According to BuffZone’s Brian Howell, Sanders will earn:
- $10 million in 2025 and 2026
- $11 million in 2027 and 2028
- $12 million in 2029
It’s a massive commitment from Colorado, but not a surprising one. Sanders transformed a program that went 1-11 in 2022 into a 9-4 bowl team within two years, significantly raising the school’s national profile. The Buffs reached the Alamo Bowl last season and saw a 20% spike in university applications, partly thanks to the buzz surrounding the football team.
Now, Sanders faces a new challenge as two of his biggest stars — quarterback/son Shedeur Sanders and two-way standout Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner — are headed to the NFL. Both players, who followed Deion from Jackson State, are projected to be early picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
That leaves Sanders with key roster holes to fill, but Colorado’s investment signals confidence that Coach Prime will keep the program on an upward trajectory.